Monday, January 31, 2011

A split moment...a bad decision...perhaps, a lifetime of sad consequence.
Life bumps; we spill whatever fills us.
Tears... anger... revenge? or kind, life-giving words and deeds? Overflow touches another heart in the deep places.
One bad decision sets into motion a whirlwind of emotional consequences. Even the almost unnoticed choices can wound another.
Sometimes we need to pause and ask God to define what's filling us before our eruptions damage lives.
What's filling you these days? Jealous... bitterness... or.. joy and truth?
Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Matt. 12:34.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Tuesdays with Beth... Charges fed and delivered to the "animal" rooms...women folk embrace and smile love into each other's eyes...Holy words fill the air. Tuesday has arrived and Jesus is our host! Study with Beth knits the generations tightly together; each sharing its unique blend... wrapping His fold with encouragement. Tears tumble freely as we expose the dark hours and welcoming laughter lightens the load. Beth unwraps the Hope and we hide it in the deep places. God graces us with His arrival. Tuesdays cradle our questions and the absent days gird our prayers.
God continues to carve a tender Bride in our gathering place, etching His image on our hearts.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Rule Number One: Don't dare break one of them. Fear keeps a faithful walk on the straight and narrow, but what if that fear to stray prevents the commitment to thrive. I alone carve the sacred commandment to obey others' expectations. Self-inflicted imprisonment. So afraid to disappoint or incur judgement. Abandon the image others paint of me? An intriguing possibility. Go ahead, self...break one!

Saturday, January 1, 2011


Four years of survival. That's all. Treading water...Counting hours...Girding myself for the next assault. The onslaught of losses taking its toll. As the year bids its final farewell, I find myself ready to leave the wasteland. No more just surviving, ready for a season with a pulse. Ready to thrive!
That's going to require putting off some old things: guilt, beating myself up, others' perceptions. Time to breathe...Time to risk...Time to move...
We're launching 2011 with a feast of Truth!
Begin memorizing each of these beautiful scriptures and get excited about our celebration later this month.

You are created.
I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

You are chosen.
The Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession. Deuteronomy 14:2

You are celebrated.
He will take great delight in you...He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

You are cherished.
I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with loving-kindness. Jeremiah 31:3


It's all about relationship.